Compound engine.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907; I. H. REYNOLDS & F. E. NORTON.

/ COMPOUND ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8.1906;

THE MORRIS PErlRs cm, wnsnmumu, 04 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRVING H. REYNOLDS AND FRED E. NORTON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

COMPOUND ENGINE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed November 8, 1905- $erial No. 286,348.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, IRVING H. RnYNoLns and FRED E. NORTON, both of Youngstown, Mahoning county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Oompound Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the'accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, which is a diagrammatic view of an engine embodyingour invention.

Our invention relates to two-stage compound engines, using steam or other elastic gas forthe Working fluid, in which two or more cranks are arranged at an angle with each other, and having corresponding high and low pressure cylinders with their pistons placed in one plane; or the mechanically equivalent arrangement of two or more pistons arranged at an angle with each other, and coupled to a common crank pin. The last named arrangement may be duplicated for more than one crank, or the two arrangements may be used in combination for the purpose of securing a more uniform turning effort.

The invention is particularly applicable to engines which require a great variation in power, such as is commonly the case in driving rolling mills and operating continuously or intermittently, in the same direction or alternately in opposite directions. It is well known that in such cases the great variation in turning effort is extremely unfavorable to economy in consumption of the working fluid, since the engine must be powerful enough to drive the heaviest loads to which it is subject and which may exist for only comparatively short periods of time, the averageload being much lighter and enduring for longer periods. Engines of this kind being proportioned for the heavy turning efforts of slow speeds are extremely wasteful in handling light loads at high speeds. Our invention overcomes this difficulty in that it secures an increased starting effort by converting a part of the low pressure element of the engine into a high pressure element, at the same time preserving a proper compound arrangement of the remaining elements which may be proportioned to secure economicalconditions in the use of the working fluid. Our invention is also of peculiar benefit in engines which operate intermittently in the same or opposite directions. With such engines the turning effort at the start is commonly very great, and to provide for this compound engines have heretofore been provided with means to admit high pressure or live steam to all of the low pressure cylinders to aid in starting. In two-crank engines, or their equivalent, each high pressure cylinder has commonly had a corresponding low pressure element in tandem with it.

Our invention is designed to secure the same starting effect as in the'foregoing arrangement, by means of only three cylinders, which may be of smaller dimensions than the four cylinders commonly used heretofore. a

The ratio of the cylinders in the compound engine, or the ratio of the area of the low pressure to the high pressure pistons, has, as is well known, an effect on the economy of such engines, and it is known that for very great turning efforts at low speeds, or very small turning efforts at high speed, a low piston ratio is necessary in order to secure economy, while for the intermediate turning efforts a larger ratio is desirable in order to secure economy in steam consumption.

Our invention provides for a flexible or variable ratio between the high and low pressure elements as an inherent and resultant effect of the arrangement which constitutes the invention.

Engines constructed in accordance with our invention comprise three cylinders or elements, one cylinder or element being always supplied with high pressure or live steam, and exhausting at all times into a receiver or equivalent steam space, a second cylinder which receives the exhaust from the first cylinder, and always operates as a low pressure cylinder, and a'third cylinder which is arranged to take its steam or other working fluid either directly from the source of high pressure supply or from the receiver or receiver space between the first and second cylinders, as desired. This third cylinder thus becomes alternately a high pressure or a low pressure element, as the conditions of load on the engine demand, while the first and second cylinders operate at all times as high and low pressure elements respectively of a compound engine.

I11 the drawing, which shows our invention applied to one form of three-cylinder engine having all of the cylinders in one plane, and the cranks at a suitable angle with each other, the numeral 2 designates the high pressure cylinder, 3 the low pressure cylinder, and 4 the third cylinder which, as above stated, is designed to operate either as a high or low pressure cylinder. The cylinder 2 receives its supply of live or high pressure steam by a pipe 5 controlled by the usual valve 6, and said cylinder exhausts into any suitable pipe or receiving chamber 7 which is connected to the low pressure cylinder 3. The cylinder 4 is connected by the pipes 8 and 9, and the valve 10 with the-live steam supply pipe 5, and the receiver pipe 7 is also connected with the cylinder 4 by means of the pipe 12, valve 13, and pipe 9.

l4 designates the high pressure piston connected to the crank 15 of the engine shaft 16. 17 is the low pressure piston connected to the crank 18 of said shaft.

19 is the piston for the cylinder 4 which is shown as directly connected by rod 20 with the piston 17.

22 is any suitable exhaust pipe to which both the cylinders 3 and 4 are connected. This exhaust pipe may either be discharged into the atmosphere or to a c011- denser, according to the particular type of engine, either through a common pipe as above described, or through separate pipes.

When the engine is required to start against excessive resistance, or heavy load, the valve 13 is closed and the valve 10 opened. The cylinders 2 and 3 then operate as a compound engine, and the cylinder 4 as a simple engine, in conjunction with the cylinder 3, but having an entirely independent steam supply which may be increased or decreased to suit the conditions of load. When the engine has only the normal load to carry, the valve 10 is closed and the valve 13 opened. The cylinder 4 now receives a supply of exhaust steam from the receiver pipe 7 and the engine operates as a three-cylin der compound engine.

The relative areas of pistons 14 and 19 may be such that when both are operated at high pressure they may exert an equal effect on their respective cranks, or an unequal effect as may be desired.

The present invention is not limited to any particular means for operating the valves 10 and 13 for the purpose of converting the third cylinder or element, 4, from high pressure to low pressure, or reversely. This may be done manually, by means of a suitable lever and connections such as indicated at 23, or any suitable automatic valve may be provided for the purpose. In the co-pending application of Fred E. Norton, Serial No. 286,349, filed November 8th, 1905, an automatic valve is disclosed which has been particularly designed to effect this change.

The advantages of our invention result from the arrangement by means of which the third cylinder may be used as described, either as a high or low pressure element, whereby we secure the advantages which have been described. We also obviate the use of high pressure or live steam in the normal low pressure element of the compound engine when starting under heavy loads, as in previous practice. We also prevent the necessity for discharging the high pressure element directly to the atmosphere or condenser for the purpose of relieving the counter pressure which exists in the receiver of such cylinders, and at all times cause the high pressure exhaust to pass to the receiver so that the normal compound working of the engine is always secured.

Our invention is applicable to other forms of engines having a different arrangement of the cylinders and cranks, since What we claim is In a compound engine, a high pressure element always operating as such, a low pressure element connected to the exhaust of the high pressure element and deriving its sole supply therefrom to operate always as a low pressure element, and a third element having its cylinder in endwise alinement with the cylinder of the low pressure element, and its piston directly connected with the piston of said low pressure element, and valved connections whereby the third element may be operated either as a high pressure or as a low pressure element; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

IRVING H. REYNOLDS. FRED E. NORTON.

Witnesses THOS. H. JnNKINs, REGINALD l. DRYER. 

